Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
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COVER STORY Wednesdays, and I missed only one day Preventing Complications says, it's important to address it up front. because my white count was low," Patty Despite advances in treatment, chronic can- "Let's not wait for a fracture to occur," he says. "Even through all 24 chemotherapy cer can be rife with complications. "Patients says. "Let's be proactive and treat it with a treatments, I have not been sick; I have not are doing much better than before and liv- more minimally invasive procedure." thrown up. I have maintained my life." ing longer," says Richard Schmidt, MD, Saying she didn't stop anything is an medical director of orthopedic oncology at Be Your Own Advocate understatement. In fact, her coping meth- CTCA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "The Living with chronic cancer is not with- od was to stay busy. Patty lives in Thayer, spin-off of that is that because they are do- out challenges. Whitworth asks patients: Kansas, on a cattle ranch. Throughout her ing better and living longer, they are devel- "What is it that you want to do, and what treatment she continued to ride horses, oping metastatic sites to the bones." is stopping you?" Then she works to help work, and garden—and she even took a These bone metastases can cause pain them address those challenges. She says two-week vacation to a dude ranch in Col- and even fractures, which can result in a that it is imperative that patients discuss orado. Stay busy doing what you love to do spiral of complications. Dr. Schmidt says their concerns with their health care team. is her motto. that in the face of metastatic cancer, it's "We're here to help, but we can't help if we important to be proactive and prevent don't know what the issue is," she explains. Treatment Advances fractures. One way to do this is through a Dr. Schmidt echoes this sentiment and "There are new technologies that have also procedure called prophylactic stabilization says that it is important for patients to pay changed the way we treat cancer," Dr. Jag- of the femur, which involves putting a rod attention and ask questions. "Patients re- gernauth explains. or pin into the thighbone to prevent it from ally need to ask their health care provider: breaking. 'What is the status of my bone health? Are These new technologies include targeted agents, which are drugs designed to attack The femur is one of the most common my bones involved yet or not? Should I get cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, and sites for bone metastases, and a broken fe- a bone scan?' " he says. "A lot of times we immune therapy, which fights cancer by mur can have devastating consequences, focus on the primary lesion, and we tend stimulating the immune system. resulting in invasive surgery; a long, slow to get outflanked a little bit. The patient Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin healing process; and loss of mobility. In is complaining of bone pain, and no one cancer, may soon be considered more of contrast, a prophylactic stabilization can be does an X-ray. If you have bone pain, insist a chronic illness because of the impact on performed through two or three small inci- on getting an X-ray." the disease of targeted agents and immune sions, and the rehabilitation from the pro- therapy. "In the past few years, targeted cedure is minimal. Coping with Chronic Cancer agents have changed the way we treat mel- Dr. Schmidt performs a lot of these pro- Ultimately, the most important aspect of anoma," explains Dr. Jaggernauth. "People cedures in an effort to help patients main- living with chronic cancer may boil down are living longer with the disease." tain quality of life and remain mobile and to effective coping strategies. The most in- What's more, the way in which we deliver independent. "From a holistic standpoint, novative treatment approach and the best treatment has changed. "There are lots of it is important to keep patients active, mo- supportive care can only do so much. If different ways to administer medications bile, and in charge of their own destiny," you're mired in fear and stress, it's going now," Whitworth explains. Oral chemother- he explains. to have an impact on your overall outlook apy is sometimes less invasive, and there are A patient who has bone pain or evidence a lot of options available to help combat side of disease progression might be a candi- Joe says that though he has encoun- effects. "We're going to arm you—give you date for the prophylactic procedure. When tered fear and stress, his faith has provided an arsenal of good stuff—to help minimize a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan strength and refuge. "Before cancer came or alleviate side effects," Whitworth says. indicates disease progression, Dr. Schmidt along, I knew God in my head, but I didn't 10 cancer fighters thrive | spring 2013 and quality of life. cfthrive.com